Top 10: No. 6: Series of weapons calls at Longmont schools

Dec. 26—Editor's note: Continuing through Dec. 31, the Times-Call will count down the top stories of the year, as selected by the newspaper's editors.

This year, a series of reports of students with weapons impacted Longmont schools in May and September.

On May 11, Longmont police received a report of a student who may have been carrying a weapon near Silver Creek High School, 4901 Nelson Road. Dispatchers received a call from the student's sibling who was concerned about his brother's welfare and told police that a gun from the family's home was missing.

The report prompted several schools — Altona, Blue Mountain, Eagle Crest and Main Street — to be placed on "secure" status out of an "abundance of caution." Schools on secure status ring students inside and lock the doors, but activities inside resume as scheduled.

Silver Creek went on lockdown due to the proximity of the student's home to the school. By 12:45 p.m., the district had lifted the secure status for all of the schools.

Longmont police located and arrested the juvenile and recovered a gun off Silver Creek school grounds. A second juvenile was also taken into police custody in connection to the incident.

Longmont Public Safety spokesperson Robin Ericson said the juvenile was not a student at Silver Creek. No weapon was discharged, and there were no injuries.

On Sept. 14, Longmont High School, 1040 Sunset St., went into lockdown in response to a report of a potential weapons sighting near the school.

The female student was carrying a fake airsoft gun designed to look like a rifle. The teen was located by officers and students were allowed to leave the school shortly after lockdown was lifted abpit 3:30 p.m.

Two nearby schools, Longs Peak Middle and Mountain View Elementary, were placed on secure status. No one was harmed during the incident.